Any further Time-Warner "Navigator" software news?

[LoadStar]

I'm a few days into the new Navigator software and overall not having much of an issue with it. One thing I do miss that I haven't seen mentioned is when fast forwarding through a recorded program I used to be able to jump 15 minutes at a time by pushing the 'sideways' arrow. That doesn't seem to work with the new software.

Anyone know how to make that work or is it gone for good...?

Thanks,

Zoot

To jump ahead 15 minutes, press and hold the FF (or rewind) button for at least 5 seconds. To continue to jump ahead, continue to hold the button down.

[zoothorn]

Excellent...thanks. That's what I was looking for.

Also, I know I read somewhere that when fast forwarding the 'actual time' of where you were in the show didn't appear like it used to with Passport. While it's not down to the second I do notice tonight that the minute of where you are in the show does appear over on the left side of the banner.

Not sure if that was there all along or not?? Maybe they just added it? That would be good news if they can slip in features that quickly...

[zoothorn]

It doesn't show the time when backing up a live recording. Only on a show that was previously recorded...

[Jack 1000]

I'd also like to ask,

"Who's brilliant idea was it to develop Navigator when this came about 6 years ago? Most likely this was a team decision that has certainly NOT been well received by the general public. I wonder what "they" are doing now? Were these independent engineers hired by TWC for the project, and then they left for China, India, or Pakistan, never to be heard from again? Then, this program starts getting developed, and put through testing with tons of bugs. Maybe they can't (or couldn't) call back the original programs from Maestro who developed the source code for Navigator. Than in compliance with FCC regulations mandating integrated cable cards in the new C-boxes after July, 1, 2007, the USA programmers who were less experienced may have had to write the OCAP software for the C-boxes on their own, going off of the original MDN platform, that was buggy from the start.

Therefore, within the last two years, TWC may be looking for "outside house" help in trying to fix the bugs in two different platforms (non-C box) MDN and (C-box) OCAP. The "original team" from six years back, may not even be with TWC anymore and have gone on to other projects. This leaves the poor in-house engineers left to clean up a huge mess and patch the bugs. If this original source code was buggy, this could take years to get the bugs out.

I wonder if the "new team" if there is a new team, is looking at this and saying. "Based on customer communications and problems in particular with the OCAP box models, we really should have gone with the Passport Update for SVD support."

This is just my theory.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Other good news,

My brother got his box replaced and Navigator is working better for him because of it. The whole family likes having the Access Menu's (News and Weather Now, and Sports Now) all in one place. I did mention that the keyboard needs Word Search and Wraparound capability. Also the ability to gray out letters un-related to program searches. On the keyboard, when you narrow down your category search and bring up the keyboard, the search should BEGIN with the show that you have narrowed down by category. Having to retype the data, after narrowing a Find Shows search down is stupid. Everyone seems to agree on this.

We need a "View This Channel Now" returned as an option on selecting future IPG programs as well.

I sent this info to our TWC division and it is going to their tech development department. Navigator is doing much better than I had expected.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

It should be noted that there are other cable companies who have written in-house IPG's, and to my knowledge, there were not problems with them. Adelphia and Charter come to mind. I do know that complaints run rampant on all the cable companies who are monopolies and have pretty $hitty customer service overall. However, it is possible, from the examples above that a quality in-house guide can be constructed without the frustrations and mess.

I have been very lucky with Navigator so far (knock on wood.) However, I fail to understand how TWC can not only provide a guide who's performance fluctuates so much, not just from state to state, but box to box. Furthermore, to take away basic standard features, such as Keyboard Word Search, and a "View This Channel Now" is just plain ludicrous! To even further the enigma that is Navigator, SOME features are nice, such as the DVR full indicator gage, the ability to have instance access to lists of Kids, Weather/News, and Sports Programs, and the appearance of the On Demand Channel Menus. The Sports Menu needs more categories in the list. Some of the categories are ambiguous:

1.) There is a Classic Movie category. But what defines a Classic Movie? Is it because it's old? Is it because it's seen by so many populations over the years? The word "Classic" means different things to different people. Passport had a more specific list.

2.) A similar story exists with the Sports Category. As I mentioned previously, there is no category for Sports that should obviously be included. (i.e Tennis.) You have to look under Sports Misc, or go to the Access Menu (A) and select Sports Now, to find some categories that should already be in the List but are not included.

3.) But then you have advanced options that serve no purpose, for example finding a movie by Title, without using the keyboard. You have to Page Up/Down using that button, and hope that you have a fast enough box that can keep up. But there is no Power Search mode with Page+/- like there was with Passport. For Movie Searches, you are almost forced to search by a sub-category for Movies. Select All Movies, and you'll be sitting there for the rest of your life. And what is the purpose of searching in the DVR Show List by Title? Do you ever need to know if something you have recorded if it's alphabetized? I sure don't. You want to know the date when a show was recorded, so that you can get to the content as easily as possible.

I think Navigator has potential, but it's too far behind the times with the features and reliability that should not even be an issue for the #2 cable company in the country. There are some things that are OK, but nothing revolutionary that a person would classify this as an "Upgrade." Navigator looks more like a different, and at times confusing, way of presenting information, who's features often look cluttered, unfinished, and as if they were put together by different people representing an older technology time-frame.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Navigator Updates:

It appears that TWC has fixed the duplicate TV Land channel bug, which I described in a previous thread.  I have noticed some test channels around the 1800 range.  Do not know what this is about.  Could this be a part of the SDV transition?

The first warm reboot manually done by me was tonight, since the change-over on April 16.  I had done a time change on a non-series recording. (Record Show With Options) while playing back a recording.  I don't know if the bug produced itself at that time.  But I originally went back because I had added 15 minutes to a show, and than changed it to end as scheduled.  Than for some reason, when I went to the Find Shows Category, the indicator would show the description of a show and than say that it was On Demand when it wasn't.  

So I did the warm reboot (VOL+/VOL-/INFO) keys held down at the same time and everything is back to normal.  I also went back, deleted any scheduled recordings and redid them, just to make sure that they were going to be fresh.  Before rebooting, I did hit Record on a test channel that I was watching and it was fine. (Saving the recording that I had been watching.)

On the 8300 Maestro DVR, users should note that in following the procedure above that the boots are instantaneous.  Passport had about a 5-10 second delay before rebooting.  The MDN version of Navigator's boot-time on my 8300 DVR was about 3-3.5 minutes.

Jack

[nick3092]

Navigator Updates:

It appears that TWC has fixed the duplicate TV Land channel bug, which I described in a previous thread.  I have noticed some test channels around the 1800 range.  Do not know what this is about.  Could this be a part of the SDV transition?

Who knows with TW. :confused:   But I just checked the diagnostic screens on my MDN box, and SDV is still not enabled.

[Jack 1000]

NEW NAVIGATOR NEWS:

Hey everyone,

Just found out that a new high-res version of Navigator is being rolled out GRADUALLY across the country, and (hopefully) before the end of the year, or early next year, Milwaukee and Metro areas will get this upgrade:

Here are some screen-shots:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=122190&d=1224185415

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=122191&d=1224185415

Based on this, we are FINALLY moving away from the Beta look of the current guide that looks like it came out of a High School Computer Education Final Exam Project.  At least it LOOKS slicker.

Now, before you all pledge your allegiance to TWC (yea, right, hahaha) I DO NOT know if or what new functions are, or will be included with this upgrade.  Right now, I am waiting for a Keyboard Keyword Search and an expanded Sports Categories List.  If we could at least get that, it would be cool!

Also note that Start Over, (a feature ON SELECTED LICENSED CHANNELS) will soon be available, which will allow users to play back shows from the beginning if they happen to catch them in the middle or near the end of a show. However, you will NOT be able to Fast Forward using this feature to bypass commercials. You will still need a DVR box and to have a show completely recorded to do that.

Here is the complete link from the AVS forums so you can all follow along as new developments come out.  I am Satch Man over there btw.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=723830&pp=30&highlight=journal&page=196

Jack

[LoadStar]

So... I must be the only one who can't see a bit of difference between the version shown in the screenshots, and the one currently running on the 8300HD?

[kevbeck122]

Other than some color differences, it doesn't look any different to me.

[Jack 1000]

Other than some color differences, it doesn't look any different to me.

Do you think that there will be more than color differences in the guide when we get this new version?  Maybe there will be some enhancements that we can't see on those screens?

As an update, how has everyone been doing with Navigator stability?

Jack

[kevbeck122]

I hope so... but I'm trying to switch to directv soon, so it probably won't affect me.

Navigator is still somewhat slow on my HDC box.. and it takes 5-10 minutes before the IR receiver's line of site expands (I need to be directly in front of the box for that first 5-10 minutes to use the remote).  Other than that.. things are fine.

[duncantuna]

That's strange .. I compared those two screen shots you in those two links .. I don't notice any difference between my box and those pics.   Maybe it's less blue in color, but that could be the photo.  Regardless .. looks 99% the same to me.  

My 8300HDC has looked that way since I got it 4 months ago.

[Kenoman]

I compared the screen shots to my guide and I see no difference either.
Have a question for Jack. Do you have the SA8300HD or the SA8300HDC?